That Old Black Magic
by penandsword21
Summary: "We made a deal Roslyn. You may not be able to remember it but rest assured... My memory is perfect." So there I was, stuck in Louisiana with a Vampire I didn't know but supposedly had some elaborate past with. Loosing your memory sucks... ERICXOC.
1. Strangers

The southern moon rose brightly above the curving road as a lone driver sped along on a black motorcycle, the red taillights following behind like bridal ribbons. Shafts of moonlight shimmered upon the murky waters of the Louisiana swamplands and made the damp earth look almost surreal. A worn down off-ramp and a right turn later found the bike zipping passed the town limits of Bon Temps without a second glance. The little houses flew in and out of focus as the bike raced through the quiet town, the only real sound coming from it's quiet engine. The headlight illuminated a green street sign and the driver took a graceful turn and followed the well-traveled road. Hundreds of large trees lined the aging blacktop and blocked most of the moonbeams from reaching ground. The bike began to slow as it came closer to the flashing neon signs littering the many windows of an apparently very busy bar. Merlotte's bar and grill was the most popular hot spot in the small town of Bon Temps and tonight was no exception. The driver of the bike had to push carefully forward in order to find a safe spot without damaging any other vehicles. Once the sleek motorcycle was successfully parked and turned off, the driver pulled off the matching black helmet and stowed it away in one of the side compartments along with a small pair of leather gloves. As the person began to walk around the side of the building towards the main entrance, a low purr could be heard beneath the now silent bike.

"Malik, I'm going to need a few drinks before I kill myself. Be good and we'll leave in the morning. Now scat!" The woman said before she unzipped the front of her form-fitting bomber jacket and opened the bar door. A large black cat crawled from beneath the bike and watched as his owner disappeared into the lights of the building, annoyance readable in his large, yellow eyes.

As soon as I entered the warmth of the small restaurant every pair of eyes fell upon me. The jukebox kept playing its country ballad and the forks and knives continued to scrape along the plates in search for food but every single man and woman stared at me as I stood in the door awkwardly trying to work up the courage to walk over to the bar. As soon as my need for alcohol outweighed my hatred for attention I made my way over to the long, brightly lit area directly in front of me, my boots clomping loudly with every step. A tall black woman stood at the bar and watched with a cocked hip as I approached. Her distrust was almost as perceptible as the unspoken anger swirling in her core. Great.

"Can I help you?" Her tone was neither asking nor helpful, but a sort of hateful demand. I'll admit I was slightly taken aback at the strong emotions thundering over her.

"Yeah, can I get a southern comfort and diet coke?" I kept my voice light and cheery, ignoring the way her brow furrowed at the undistinguishable accent behind my words.

"Can I see your ID?" The chatter of the bar began to slowly pick up as the people of Bon Temps decided that I was just another drifter. I quickly fished my ID out of the back pocket of my black skinny jeans and presented it to Tara, who studied it thoroughly before handing it back and turning to make the order. I flipped it between my fingers, amazed that the worker was actually _looking_ for an excuse to fight with me. The frayed edges from the ace of hearts tickled my skin as I slipped the playing card up the sleeve of my jacket. Luckily the old card was the exact same shape and size of a regular New York license, so creating the illusion had taken no energy. I glanced around the bar again; only noticing a few leering stares this time. Beheaded and stuffed animal carcasses lined almost every square inch of wall space, making me slightly queasy. None of them were recently deceased, so that saved me from the disturbing ghosts that normally accompanied corpses. A few waitresses zipped back and forth from the kitchen area to their assigned tables, all wearing the same tight white shirt and black shorts. It was obvious they were slightly short staffed and I contemplated it would be like to worked with them... I have always loved waitressing. A little normalcy in life before continuing on my journey. Malik would never allow it though.

I rolled my eyes at the thought of my less than agreeable travel partner when I caught sight of something very strange on the floor. Sliding off of my seat and landing on my knees, I slid my hand meticulously along the wooden flooring. Dust and grime from poor washing smeared across my smooth palm but that isn't what had me confused. There was a strange electric pulsing that was weakly fading through the floorboards and into the earth. It was quite ancient yet only a few days old.

"What the hell are you doing?" Tara yelled as she slammed the drink down on the bar top, sloshing some of the liquid onto the hard wood. My head slammed into the underside of the counter at the sudden increase of volume. Uttering an inaudible stream of curses and rubbing the top of my head as I surfaced from the floor I met Tara's glare with a sheepish grin.

"Sorry I dropped something." I hopped back onto the bar stool and grabbed the drink before it spilled anymore, but Tara continued to stare at her until she harshly wiped up the alcohol she had spilled and turned away. As I sipped my drink I could hardly believe the darkness coming from the woman behind the counter, but I decided asking questions would be unwise. It was none of my business anyway. Maybe she was just a bitch?

To my surprise the drink was actually very well made and didn't take long to finish. I calmly ordered another one when the door to Merlotte's slammed opened with a bang and the bar went silent again. My heart jumped out of my chest and continued to race painfully while I twisted slowly on the barstool, nervous about the dramatic entrance of some unknown threat.

"Woooie! Did anyone else see that beautiful bike out there?" A medium sized blonde man stood in the doorway with a giant smile on his face. "Who's the sum-a-bitch who went and bought a Varadero?" Jesus Christ that scared the life out of me... I let out the breath I had been holding before throwing the man a sly smile. Hey, he was handsome and I was bored. Besides, his signature didn't read anything unnatural, so he was the youngest and safest bet for a nice night in Bon Temps.

"That would be me." I answered confidently, actually reveling the feeling of the entire bar looking at me again. That drink was really good... Jason Stackhouse settled his blue eyes on me and his posture changed instantly as he realized what he was looking at. I'm not trying to say that I was the most beautiful thing in the world, actually far from it because she's a stupid, conceited bitch. But my line of work did keep me in great shape and after I cut my hair a couple years ago I noticed it was much easier to take care of and style. So even if I was travel weary and hadn't showered in a few days, I still looked moderately decent. Jason seemed to think the same thing because he flashed me a handsome smirk and swaggered over to the bar before standing directly in front of me. I did a quick once over and leaned my back against the counter while my smile widened.

"Well hello stranger." He said, his tone alluring and his charm at its highest possible level. "Haven't seen you around these parts lately." Normally I shied away from any and all human interaction and usually hated the sounds of southern drawls, but for some unknown reason I couldn't help but be intrigued by Jason's aura and unbelievably good looks. Call me a sucker but hey, I was on my way to tipsy and feeling a little provocative.

"Probably because I've never been here before. Not in Bon Temps that is."

"Well then allow me to be your official Bon Temps guide. We'll start in Merlotte's bar and grill, the finest eatery in town." He gestured grandly to the people eating and drinking behind him; they had forgotten the most recent interruption and were enjoying themselves once again. "Oh and the name's Jason. Jason Stackhouse." He held out his hand confidently and it was easy to see the calluses and bruises on it. He worked with his hands.

"Roslyn Kale." I flashed him another white smile, a stark contrast from my ink black hair, and took his rough hand in my own small soft ones. Another sharp spark shot through my hand and I had to bite my lip quickly to keep myself from recoiling. Thankfully, Jason was preoccupied by staring at my more womanly features to notice my odd actions.

"Well Roslyn, what brings you to Bon Temps?" He leaned against the bar and rested his head lazily in his hand, his cocky smirk never leaving. I twisted in the seat again to face the now Tara-less bar and began to play with the empty cup sitting in front of me.

"Just passing through. I saw the lights from the road and figured I could use a good drink. I'll be leaving soon though."

"Where you headed?" His face was getting perpetually closer the longer we sat there and I was beginning to rethink my decision to leave tonight. How many guys do I get to meet in my line of work? Well, who don't want to kill and/or eat me? The answer is not many... And none of them ever look like Jason. I mean, what's one more night in Bon Temps?

"Not really sure yet." I replied quietly. "I just know it's no where I've been before." Jason's smile grew as he looked in my dark green eyes with his own baby blues. Good lord this drink was starting to get to me.

"You ain't ever been here before. Maybe you should stay a few days, and check out the scene. See if you like it."

"Sounds tempting." Tara walked back then and cast Jason a glance before glaring at me. What the_ hell _did I do_?_ "But I'm sort of supposed to be doing something important for work, so I'm afraid a little vacation just isn't in the cards right now."

"Oh yeah," Jason was so close that I could feel the sun's heat still radiating off of his skin. But beyond that heat pulsed something quite unexplainable but shockingly familiar and I felt compelled by it. Everything was just so strange. "Well, what is it that you're supposed to be doing?"

"I'm looking for someone... Special." Tara set down another drink in front of me and pretended not to listen while Jason smiled as he leaned against me and put his lips to my ear.

"Well, I might just be someone special." His voice was hushed and darkly seductive and I had to force myself not to blush. So I threw my eyes away from the blonde and looked at the large open walkway behind the end of the bar as scruffy looking man walked into the restaurant from what presumably was the office area. He walked up behind the bar and threw me an unnoticing glance before he began to speak to Tare. I remained frozen in my seat and stared at this stranger as he began to question Tara about the bar tabs. Jason, unnoticing my sudden disinterest, put his hand on my leg and gave it a warm squeeze.

"So, would you wanna grab a table with me? Can't drive across the country on an empty stomach." He asked with a seductive tone. Sam Merlotte, once finished talking to his bartender turned to leave, but a flash of dark green eyes kept him rooted to the spot. He stood completely still as I stared back at him, my face probing but impassable. Tara looked between us anxiously before I quickly turned to Jason and accepted his request with a smile. He led me away from the bar, leaving a confused Tara and a motionless Sam behind us.

"That girl is a fucking weird-o. Do you know her Sam?"

"N-no I don't." He shook his head sharply to rid him self of the trance he had fallen in. "Never seen her before in my life."

Jason had led me to a booth towards the back of the restaurant. I sat facing the rest of the dinner and he sat facing me. Once seated he instantly launched into a breathless tale about the town and its inhabitants so I began to seriously study the area around me. I was shocked as several different shades of energy bloomed into view the harder I concentrated. Bon Temps was a lot more suspicious than I had originally thought.

"What can I get for you two?" A clear voice broke through my resolve and I bit my lip again to keep from snapping at the tall waitress who stood at our table and pulled a pen from behind her horribly dyed red hair. She was studying me carefully with eyes lined with way too much make up. She didn't trust me in the slightest and her aura slowly coiled into a swirl of accusations and fear. The town gossip then...

"Hey Arlene. I'm gonna get the special and another beer." He smiled over at me and I glanced down at my unopened menu.

"Uh, I'll just get a garden salad, unless you have veggie burgers." I ordered with a nervous laugh, brightening Jason's smile but adding to Arlene's look of annoyance.

"Oh and can you have Sookie come over when you get time? I'm sure she'd love to meet Roslyn." Jason asked Arlene as she walked away and he got a little glare in reply.

"Sookie is?"

"My sister. She just loves meeting new people." He finished the rest of his beer and I took the moment of silence to pull off my jacket and set it next to me, revealing a sleeveless turtleneck shirt of dark green. My silver locket fell to its usual spot just above the swell of my chest and I caught Jason giving it an appreciative glance. "So Roslyn, where are ya from?"

"Just about everywhere really. Most recently though is New York." He smiled at her alluringly and did not look away when Arlene brought them their drinks. I gave her a gracious thank you hoping to get on her good side... and got an _mmmm-hmmmm_ in return before the red head walked away. "People here don't really like strangers do they?" Jason chuckled charismatically.

"Well, we've had some weirdness go on during the past couple of weeks. They're just suspicious of new people is all. Stick around and I'm sure they'll learn to love you."

"Yeah, I bet." I took a huge gulp of the iced drink, reveling as the burn of whiskey traveled down my throat. Alcohol was less effective than smoking for me, but much more user friendly than the alternate, so I was stuck with it for now. Stupid government and their rules about banning naturally found herbs.

"So anyway, tell me about yourself Roslyn. I mean if this is our only night together, I want to learn as much as possible." Jason leaned forward and waited for Me to reply so I tilted my head alluringly and mimicked his action.

"If this was our only night together Jason, I'd want to do a lot more than just talking." The line was dropped and though it took a while to register in Jason's head but once it did his smirk widened to a charming smile. I smiled back at him and finished my second drink, slightly amazed in how easy if was going to be to get him alone. But hey, men are men. Once I had him somewhere secluded I could finally figure out that the fuck he was and then decide if staying in Bon Temps would be beneficial. Plus I was getting a free meal and possibly hooking up with a seriously attractive guy; it was a win for all involved.

"Just wait at the bar Bill, I'll seat you and Jessica in a minute." A bubbly voice broke through the air surrounding our table and suddenly a short blonde with a huge smile came skipping over carrying a tray full of food. "Hey Jason, here's your food. And who is this new lady?" I began to smile charmingly as I looked up at Sookie Stackhouse but my action die on my lips as we locked eyes.

"Sook, this is Roslyn Kale. She's a traveling stranger that I'm trying to convince to stick around in Bon Temps for a few days. Roslyn, this is my sister Sookie."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Roslyn. And don't let this charmer fool you, he's looking to get you into bed." Sookie held out a friendly hand and a familiar tugging surfaced at the front of my brain. I was on my feet in an instant, completely ignoring Sookie's welcoming gesture.

"I'm sorry but I need to use the restroom." Careful not to touch either of the Stackhouse siblings I made a beeline for the front door, my only thought was finding Malik and getting the fuck out of here. And that's when I ran directly into two startled vampires.

"Oh I am very sorry Miss. I don't mean to be standing in the middle of the floor and blocking your way. Please accept my apologies." I felt my jaw dropping as I stumbled away from Bill Compton. Behind him stood a curious looking red haired fledgling, no more than a year old; Her eyes were still rimmed with red. Bill took a smiling step forward to make sure that I was alright but I hastily took a giant step backward, my green eyes wild. The vampires eyed me cautiously, trying to calm me with their cool presence, but suddenly Sam was back in the room and I could no longer take the force of the energies around me.

I'll admit, I panicked a little. As soon as the golden light coming from the Stackhouse siblings entered my personal bubble I lost all control and decided it was time for action.

"**STOP**" The strong command exploded from my lips and the world went silent, unable to ignore my demand. Color seemed to drain from everything in sight except for the five people surrounding me, who each lighted up in a distinctly unique light. They all looked at each other in amazement.

"What the fuck is this?" Jessica thought loudly, her body covered in a light pink. Her eyes flashed in shock when she realized that everyone listen to her mind. None of them could move though, except for me that is. And I was currently struggling to find my oh-so-very important work tool.

"Roslyn, are you doing this?" Jason's voice was a mixture of awe and fear as he looked at his frozen hand covered in a dark plum. It was reaching out to where I stood.

"Who is Roslyn?" Bill, the threat in his voice easy to read, like the vibrant red color pulsing from his skin.

"What are you?" Sookie spoke, her voice simply questioning and her aura a brilliant gold. I pulled a silver badge from my right boot and flashed it to everyone in the circle; the symbol mirrored my intricate locket exactly.

"My name is Roslyn Kale and I am a member of the Supernatural Enforcement Committee. I have been in search of a very powerful man for a long time now and based on the high quantity of supernatural activity in this area I have reason to believe that he is hiding in Bon Temps or the surrounding area."

"What did you do to us?" Sam this time his light brown energy spinning around him calmly.

"Sorry but it was necessary to detain you. I've never really faced so many supernaturals in one place before. Just cooperate with me and I'll let you go when I'm finished with my questioning."

"Like hell we will! Release us immediately."

"Silence vampire!" I snapped, finally stepping into my natural pace. Ahh the joys of interrogation... "You are not yet even 200 years old. You have no right to speak against me."

"What the hell are you?" Sookie again, and this time it wasn't a thought, but an active, vocalized question. I turned and watched in shock as her body began to pulsate the light surrounding her. She was breaking through the spell.

"So you are one, aren't you..." I spoke to herself more than anyone else, filing my thought away for further investigation. I turned to everyone else, ignoring the blonde. She was a little preoccupied in her own amazement at what was happening. "Do any of you know a man by the name of Marius Avett?" My question hung in the silent air and no one spoke or thought a word. "This is a matter of the highest importance. If you have heard anything at all pertaining to a mister Marius Avett please bring it to the front of your mind immediately. Then I can let you all go and I'll be on my way."

"Let us go now!" Sam yelled through his mind, causing me to flinch.

"We don't know him!" Jessica shouted.

"Roslyn, I demand that you let us all go this instant."

"**Silence**. I don't have time for these games. Now tell me what you know about the strangeness that has been occurring in Bon Temps or I will be forced to strip your minds myself."

"Like hell you will!" Sookie reached out and grabbed onto my wrist while I was distracted and a bright golden light erupted from her touch. It was warm as it began to creep up my arm and as I turned to look in her eyes another light began to form, this time it was silver and shot up her arm.

"What the hell is this?"

"I have no idea!"

Suddenly the door slammed open and we both snapped our heads towards the entrance. The two lights extinguished as a 6 foot 4 blond haired, blue-eyed 2,000-year-old vampire calmly strutted into the room. In his hands he held a black cat by the scruff of its neck; Malik looked thoroughly harassed.

"Eric? What on earth are you doing here?" Bill demanded without being able to see his Sherriff and constant enemy.

"Hello Sookie, good to see you're doing well." Eric released Malik who gracefully landed on his feet and raced towards me with a hiss. I bent down to scoop him into my arms and looked over at the approaching vampire with worry.

"Eric, what in God's name is going on here?" Sookie had her arms folded across her chest in anger and her tone was nothing like the sweet girl I was introduced to. "Is this your doing?" Eric smiled brightly but shook his handsome head.

"I'm afraid not. All blame rests with the little dark haired witch. Isn't that right Roslyn?" His eyes were drinking me in and I couldn't wake up enough to make a run for it. Unexplainably, I felt very safe in the bar but something was definitely wrong about being addressed so familiarly by a man I have never met before. Especially since that man is a very powerful and very dark vampire.

"Eric, who is this woman and how does she have this power over us?" Eric smirked before taking very slow and precise steps forward, only stopping when he cast his shadow over me, a dark grey light beginning to lift from his body. I looked away from him, afraid that he would be able to glamour me if I looked up. After all, he if wasn't affected by my time spell, then he certainly would be able to hold other things over me. Malik began to hiss in my hands and I could hear his silent urging through out contact. He wanted to get out now. But I couldn't move.

"I'd love to explain Bill but I'm afraid I just don't have the time. I have a business to run and apparently several affairs to put in order. You'll all be fine though." He leaned down over me and I soon felt ice-cold fingers cupping my chin, forcing me to look into his amazing blue eyes. Up this close, it was hard to remember the kind of danger I was in, he was so beautiful. "I could feel you as soon as you entered the region. The closer you get to me, the harder it is to block me out, isn't it?" He tilted my face this way and that, inspecting me. I didn't drop his gaze, even when his eyes lingered on my red stained lips. "Ahh, little rosy Roslyn, where _have_ you been all this time?" Malik's hair was standing straight up at the closeness of the undead creature, but I was beyond comprehending anything. This man was in my space, touching me and speaking to me as if I belonged to him. My indignant nature flared to life and I could feel my lips moving with out my consent.

"I'm sorry but do I know you?" Instantly Eric's warmth disappeared and his eyes became calculating and cold. They were the last things I remember before the blackness took over.

"Interesting." And with a movement too fast for human eyes Eric had knocked Roslyn out and plopped her over his shoulder, Malik falling once again to the ground. The others instantly became reanimated and shifted to watch the retreating vampire.

"What is she Eric?" Bill called as the colors began to bloom throughout the restaurant. Eric stopped at the entrance of the bar and threw them all a mischievous glance.

"She's a witch of the highest order. Older than me and far more powerful than anything you've ever encountered." Abruptly the world restarted as if nothing had happened and Eric Northman was gone.


	2. Deal With the Devil

I awoke to discover three very odd things; One, I was lying alone in a giant bed. Two, the bed was located in a relatively small room with two doors and absolutely no windows. Three, I was completely naked.

"What the fuck..." My voice broke through with a slight croak. I had been asleep for a long time then. Looking around the room I noticed that whoever designed it either had no imagination, or just hated anything with color. The walls were a dull gray and the bed was black and red with hints of silver threading here and there. Bookshelves lined the walls along with several strange and frightening paintings. A row of dressers and a closet hid the wall with the smaller door, which I decided against investigating for fear I would find something horrible or dangerous. I called for Malik in a low voice as I sat up in the extremely comfortable bed but received so response, which meant he either couldn't get in or had run away. I found myself hoping for the later as I realized that every last inch in the room was covered in vampire energy. I nearly fell out of bed in my rush to get out of the room. Naturally the larger door, made out of some extremely heavy metal, was locked shut. With a sigh of exasperation I twisted the black sheet covering my body closer and put my hand against the door. With a little concentration and a mighty shove I was free. I checked to make sure the flimsy sheet was still covering my body and then made a run for the light at the end of the insanely dark room. If I had been smart, I would have noticed the numerous clanking chains and cuff littering this room and stayed quiet and in the bed, but instead I freaked out and ran through the medieval torture room in a full out sprint. I took the stairs two at a time and slammed into the door at the top of the staircase. My heart was beating wildly out of control and knew if I didn't get myself under control I would not be able to unlock the door without blowing the entire building up. Closing my eyes helped me forget where I was and after a few deep breaths I could finally focus enough to attempt to unlock the door. But as I placed my hands upon the dented steel I felt it unlock from the opposite side and swing open, revealing a tall Asian man grinning down at me. He revealed two razor sharp incisors.

I panicked again.

And suddenly the Asian vampire was soaring through the room and slamming into the wall, dust and concrete flying everywhere.

"Ah, so you're awake." A lazy voice called out to me before a stunningly beautiful woman appeared at the foot of the stairs. She smiled down at me with bright red lips. "Careful Pam. Cho will survive but that's not the worst she can do." A flash of intrigue sparked in the vampires; eyes as she quickly reached out and grabbed my forearm, dragging me into the room with little sympathy. I slammed into a wooden desk, pushing every thing that rested on it over and almost landing on the top myself. Once the falling objects became still and silence filled the air I looked up into the ice blue eyes of Eric Northman. He looked back at me with a playful smirk.

Needless to say I wasn't very happy.

"I'll kill you vampire!" I screamed, lunging at him only to be slammed into the desk once again by Pam. She held both of my arms behind my back in an iron vice. I attempted to struggle but it was like trying to fight a statue... I was only human after all.

"You are upset?" Eric tilted his head as he leaned back in a black leather chair, lazily watching me with amused eyes.

"Where the fuck am I? Why did you bring me here?" I tried to control my emotions and thoughts, but the longer I glared up at this insufferable man the more enraged I became. Typical masochistic, bigot vampire asshole thinking he can do whatever he wants with no consequences. By the time I got through with him he going to be sipping true blood through a very, very skinny straw. "Who the fuck _are_ you?"

"So you really don't remember." His voice sounded something like a mixture of disappointment, sorrow, and anger. What the hell was this guys issue?

"Remember what? The last thing I remember is you _sauntering _into an official SEC investigation and ATTACKING me. Then I wake up in your fucking basement with no clothes, no cat, and no idea of how I got here." I tried to push Pam off again but it was a waste of effort. She didn't budge.

"You're calling that an investigation? Seemed more like a circus to me."

"How dare you! Release me immediately or I will destroy last vampire in this building." The threat settled in silence and after a moment or two Eric leaned toward me, placing both hands on the desk and setting his sharp chin directly in from of mine. His face was so close I could see nothing else and his cool breath washed over my face, calming me in the most familiar way.

"Now now Roz, I think we both know you could never do that." The relaxing, memorable way in which he spoke, the comfortable way in which he was so close to me, and the use of a nickname only one person has ever used before. All of these things were strange to me. And the strangeness was squeezing my heart in the most painful way. Pam flew back from me, like Cho had earlier, and my body began to glow silver. Objects around me got caught in the gravity I was creating and lifted from the ground. The wood beneath me began to splinter and crack as the floor started to rumble. My eyes lost the human light they so vainly held on to and my focus became like steel. They were all going to die.

"You've grown." Was all he said before placing an icy hand upon my neck and squeezing gently. The pressure hit just the right weak spot and everything disbanded. Objects cluttered to the floor and the glowing stopped as my eyes regained correct vision. Eric was smiling at me.

"H-how did you know about that?"

"Believe it or not Roslyn, you and I have met before. Many times in fact. What I can't understand now is why you do not remember any of it." I stared at him for almost an eternity, trying to see if he was lying. But as the truth of his words slipped over me I slid from the desk and landed on the floor, my head down and my hands between my legs.

"M-Marius did this."

"Your master." I did not look at him. I hugged the thin black sheet closer to my body and shivered as foggy imaged began to fill my mind. The very last things I could remember. "When?"

"I don't remember." Eric kneeled down next to me but I would not look at him. He said something to Pam in Swedish and the woman silently left the room.

"He took away all of your memories. Why?"

"He said I didn't deserve them." I looked up at Eric through welling eyes and wished he would stop looking back at me like he was used to seeing me cry. The silver tears fell from my eyes and he didn't shy away. I couldn't stand it. "He said I had lost my true purpose and that when I discovered it again, he would return me to the way I'm supposed to be."

"Is that why you are in Louisiana?" I nodded my head.

"I've been looking form him for years. I don't really know how long. But last night I felt something and I know he's here somewhere." Pam had returned with a glass of water and held it out with an eye roll. She was annoyed at my weeping and I can't say I could blame her. Vampires get really edgy when silver is involved. But then again, so do almost all supes.

"We need to open soon. It's Saturday." Eric took the glass and handed it to me.

"Thank you Pam." The woman rolled her eyes again and plopped down on the couch, hoisting her feet and a pair of amazing shoes onto a small coffee table. I didn't need to look at her to feel the holes she was boring into my back. I wiped my tears away and got to my feet, making sure not to flash anyone. I drained the water before setting the empty desk back on the table and turning to face the three Vampires. Cho was keeping his distance.

"Thanks for... everything, but I'd better be going. I left everything back in Bon Temps and my cat will surely be looking for me." As if on queue Malik slipped into the room and hopped onto the ruined desk, rubbing his face on my hand and purring happily at me.

"Actually, your motorcycle is in our garage at the moment. Your supplies are down in the spare room. And your cat is, as you can see, quite content. Pam has taken a liking to him." I glanced over at the woman in question and she started to chuckle.

"What can I say? I'm a cat person." I glanced around the room as a horrible realization dawned upon me. They weren't going to let me leave.

"No. No, absolutely not. There is no way in hell I am staying here." At this Eric rose to his feet and towered over me, again. God this was getting so old. "Eric, no. I have a job to do!"

"And where better to do it than in a vampire bar? You wouldn't believe the people we get in here... People, I'm sure that could lead you directly to Marius. Besides, we are the supernatural central in Louisiana and my being the Sherriff gives us certain... leverage over other supernatural information." I don't know what I was more appalled at; his boldness or his validity. It would be much easier to find Marius if I immersed myself in the supernatural world where I'm sure he had been hiding. But something seemed off... Eric was a businessman and my instinct told me not to trust him, despite our supposed history.

Or perhaps I didn't trust him _because_ of our missing history.

"I-I still don't think I can. I'd rather stay in Bon Temps. With all the weirdness that's going on there, it's pretty obvious that he has to be close."

"What will you do for money Roslyn? For shelter? No one in that hick town will hire a stranger, not after the maenad. They will hate you for what you are, even more that vampires. And the more you use, the more _they_ will come for you. We can smell the power in your blood."

"Even better than newborn..." Pam added to my disgust. I glared at her before turning back to Eric with a scowl.

"I'll be fine. I can take care of myself."

"Not from where I'm standing. Look how easily you where kidnapped. How easily I could calm you down. How easily I could undress you..." His words dropped in volume and disappeared into a whisper. My cheeks heated up in rage.

"What the fuck Eric! Where are my clothes?" He chuckled and turned away from me, walking past his desk and looking through one of the many bookshelves.

"I destroyed them. They were contaminated with magic and I didn't want anyone following you here."

"You _destroyed _them? Jesus Christ, I have a way to cover it up you asshole! How dare you take advantage of me like that!"

"Relax Roz." He turned to smirk at me before adding a seductive; "It's not like I've never seen you naked before." I almost dropped the sheet in my shock.

"Wh-what?"

"Ah, here it is." He cheerfully ignored me as he pulled out a thick leather bound book and slammed it on the busted desk before flicking through the frayed pages.

"Eric, you answer me right now! What are you insinuating?"

"I am insinuating nothing Roslyn. Merely trying to remind you that we share a past... And luckily for me, a promise." He turned the book around and pointed at the elaborate script heading the page. I read the fluid text quickly and gasped.

"This is a fake... Th-this can't be real. I would never agree to this!"

"But you would Roz, and you did."

"Well, now I'm intrigued." Pam announced cheerily as she skipped over to the desk. She read the page and prominently guffawed in joy. "You can't be serious."

"Oh but I am. You see Pam, Witches are very interesting creatures. Human beings with immortal tendencies; they have extremely long lives, they have several very common weaknesses, and they feed off the magic in all living things. Whether that is from the earth itself or other supernaturals. And little Roz here, a long time ago, desperately needed to feed off a supernatural, and guess who was there to help her out."

"This isn't real. Eric, this is a trick."

"Now Witches are very ceremonial beings. In fact, if I am not mistaken, they are all bound by a covenant that they must follow. Like an inbred set of instincts. And me being me, I decided to make sure I would get something out of sharing my precious blood with another. Something my maker taught me." I covered my eyes with my hands, unable to look down at my own signature as it shined up at me from the page in blood red ink. God I wished I could remember this moment more than any others. Because I'm sure there was some kind of mistake and Eric was using my predicament to his full advantage.

"So what, you gave her some blood and now you own her?"

"Not exactly. But for the time being, she does need to remain here with us. And I get to request several special _favors_ of her." Pam laughed again, thoroughly enjoying my misery. "And she does owe me a new desk." His blue eyes found mine and he smiled, evidently very pleased with himself. I looked down in defeat and noticed the mess I had made earlier for the first time. With a deep breath I snapped my green eyes back to him, my glare threatening. His smile dropped instantly.

"Give me one reason why I shouldn't stake you where you stand?" The splinters I had created were coagulating in the air behind me, transforming into a medium sized stake with a wickedly sharp point. Pam hardened to stone next to me but did not move, waiting for orders from her maker.

"Because if you kill me, you know you'll regret it." I held out my hand, palm face up.

"Give me your credit card. I need new clothes and there's no way I'm wearing the Halloween costumes your customers decided to flaunt." He slipped me a seductive smile and handed over a silver card.

"Get something purple... You always looked good in that." I hugged the stupid sheet closer to me and turned on my heel, walking away while the stake quickly dissolved back into splinters and molded back into the desk.

"Well this is going to be fun." Pam said as I disappeared down the staircase into the frightening basement.

Fucking Vampires...

3 hours and several hundred dollars later, I was beginning to feel a little better about my situation. I parked my bike in the garage behind the bar and pulled my bags out of the back. That was the wonderful thing about magic... you never ran out of room. I could hear the loud music and chatter exploding from the bar so I decided it would be better to remain anonymous as long as possible; both from the crowd and the owners. I slipped into the office through the back door and silently fled to my new room. Out of habit I locked the heavy door as soon as I got in, but I knew if they really wanted to find me then a silly door wasn't going to stop them. I set my bags on the ground to be dealt with later and decided a nice shower was in order. Malik burrowed into the bed and fell asleep almost instantly. I guess I wouldn't be switching the sheets tonight then...

I walked into the bathroom and started the shower while I stripped and pulled out my favorite little traveling accessory. Inside of a Victorian make up case sat quite a few very important things. One was a long silver lighter with a rose carved into the metal. Another was a spiraling blue glass tube with a hole on wither end. The third thing was a small metal airtight container holding a rather large amount of beautiful and natural marijuana. That mixed with a special medley of carefully selected herbs and essences made for one kick ass relaxant and medicine. A creation of my own design that led to peaceful sleep, better memory, and heightened healing ability. Once my piece was packed with the correct amount of herbs I stripped naked and hopped into the shower, taking my hitter and lighter with me. As the water splashed over my skin I flicked the lighter, sparking a little blue flame. The warm smoke traveled pasted my lips and filled my mouth with a numbing sensation. The exhale came out in a light pink vapor and my body instantly relaxed. A few more hits before it was done and soon all my sadness was gone. I reveled in the warmth of the water splashing across my skin. The smell coming from my self-made shampoo gave me a smile as I rubbed it into my scalp. All in all, I had almost completely forgotten about the horrible situation I found myself in and by the time I turned the water off with pruning fingers I felt just like my old self again. I rubbed a towel through my short hair quickly before wrapping it around my body and securing it with a twist. I hummed a little tune as I rubbed lotion everywhere I could reach. It was masking lotion that I had invented on the road and when applied correctly allowed it's user all simple forms of magic without detection. Unluckily for me, it was really hard to spread it to my back so usually it didn't work 100 percent of the time.

"Need some help?" Eric's low growl caused me to jump in fright before my heightened senses found him lounging on the bed.

"Jesus Christ Eric. Knock much?" I tightened the towel around my body before walking over to him with a scowl.

"Not in my own room, no." He smirked at me and I rolled my eyes. "Besides, I've seen you before Roslyn, so it's not that big of a deal to me."

"Yeah I've noticed. Speaking of which, the more you bring that up, the more I think you're lying about the nature of our past _relationship._" I walked over to the shopping bags and pulled out the new nightgown I just purchased. It was a black, free flowing cotton dress that ended at my knees and I was in love with it. I was always the type of girl to have comfort rule out style.

"Oh, and why is that?" I threw the fabric over my shoulders and allowed the towel to fall from my body just as the nightgown fell into place. Eric was staring at me and I knew it.

"Because if it was some elaborate and meaningful _sexual_ relationship I would think I would remember it a little more."

"But Marius took away your memory."

"True." I walked over to him and kneeled upon the bed, never breaking eye contact. Slowly and deliberately I leaned over him, pressing my damp body against his cold one and straddling his abdomen. He watched me cautiously, but he couldn't keep a smirk from his lips. "But I've discovered that repeating actions from my past or feeling similar emotions brings back specific memories." I leisurely placed my arms behind his head and gingerly touched the tips of his hair with my tickling fingers. His hands fell to my thighs and began to rub them soothingly. My body was heating up fast; one of the more double standard effects of the herbs. Great when you want it, horrible when you don't. "You would think I would remember this feeling..." I brought my face closer to his and lowered my lids to stare at his thin lips. His eyes followed my gaze and his smirk widened.

"And?" His voice was probing and dark, but his smirk remained in place.

"Nothing." I whispered into his mouth before rolling to the side and hopping off the bed. A sharp sound produced as his fangs popped out but I paid him no mind as I reentered the bathroom to put away my herbs. I didn't hear him as he approached me but once he pressed against my back I couldn't help but feel a sense of déjà vu. I decided to ignore him further, hoping he would get bored and go away, but as his frame bent over mine, I had the sinking suspicion that I had released a monster.

"I wondered what that smell was... I didn't take you for a smoker Roz."

"My own creation." I explained in a dull tone as I closed the box. "A blend of herbs to induce relaxation, healing, sleep..."

"Arousal." It was not a question but a statement as if he knew. And as I looked at his reflection in the mirror before us, it was clear he did.

"Sometimes..." I whispered as he caressed a cool hand over my shoulder, leaving a trail of fire upon my skin. His blue eyes caught my green ones in the reflective surface. He turned me around instantly and I was suddenly staring into the real thing. The pressure I was getting from the way he was leaning into me was electric. And my body knew the warmth that raced through my veins. It had experienced this pleasure before and begged for it like a starving man begged for a meal.

"Interesting." Eric whispered while cupping my cheek with one hand and clutching my hip with the other. He lowered his face towards mine and my heart began to race as my hands draped around his neck, for lack of a better place to put them. "Can you feel anything now Roslyn?"

"Almost..."

"Time to go boss. It's almost 4." Pam announced from the bedroom door. I jumped out of my skin for the third time that night and tried to backed away from Eric quickly.

"Pam..." He threatened, not allowing me too escape his grasp. She rolled her eyes and disappeared. "Now where were we?"

"I think you were just leaving." I called from my position in bed, snuggled up in the covers and squeezing Malik for safety. Eric walked from the bathroom and stared at me, trying to figure when exactly I have moved but I gave him a nod of goodnight and snapped my fingers, launching the room into blackness. As he slowly made his way out I forced myself to calm down.

"Goodnight Roslyn. I hope you start to remember things soon... We always did have so much _fun_ together." His chuckle followed him out of the room and I could hear the heavy door lock behind him. Malik purred into my neck and the familiar vibrations sent me into a very heavy sleep.

Eric reached the top of the stairs and locked the door with a satisfied smirk as he felt Pam's blue eyes boring into his back. He pulled on his coat without looking at her and swiftly ran a hand through his hair before turning to his progeny with a grin. She did not look amused.

"What?"

"How come you have never once mentioned you used to date a Witch?"

"We did not date." He laughed at the statement but Pam crossed her arms.

"Date, fuck, whatever. The point is you had a relationship with one of the most powerful creatures in the supernatural world and said nothing to me."

"Pam, this really isn't that big of an issue. We knew each other hundreds of years ago, long before I made you. I didn't bring her up because it was not that big of a deal." Pam sighed, pleased with her makers' explanation and waited for him to grab his things so they could leave together, like they always did.

"Still, you might have mentioned something to me. She smells delectable."

"Well, be a good girl and you might get a taste." Eric grabbed his keys from the desk and walked over to his progeny, holding the door open for her in a show of affection.

"What's is like?" Eric locked the door and turned to Pam, his teeth glowing in the moonlight.

"Like nothing I've ever experienced before." His eyes remained unfocused as they reached the black Volvo but before he got into the car he cast his eyes back at the vacant bar. "It's like V, but a million times better."

"Mmmmmm... I just might have to try some."

Eric chuckled quietly.


End file.
